WITH reference to your recent reports regarding the salaries of top officers at County Hall, I feel that there are two important issues involved.

The first issue is the level of the salaries, which were recommended by external consultants. I and all the Labour councillors and several other councillors opposed the increases from the onset. I did not see how they could be justified in terms of fairness and value for money to the people of Cornwall. The second issue is that of secrecy. This topic was always scheduled as a confidential item to be debated and decided upon in a private meeting of the county council. Why should this be? Clearly some things are commercially sensitive and must be discussed in private, but the issue of salaries and salary banding, obviously of relevance to all of us in Cornwall. During the ongoing saga, consistent attempts were made by the Labour group to get the issue debated in public session with only limited success.

I welcome the fact that this is now all out in the public domain. In my view, it is a matter of legitimate public interest.

Jill Ferrett, County Councillor, Falmouth Penwerris